Record card



Patented Jan. 10, 1950 RECORD CARD Waldemar A. Ayres, Kew Gardens Hills, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application December 15, 1939, Serial No. 309,445, now Patent No. 2,366,827, dated January 9, 1945. Divided and this application March 28, 1947, Serial No. 737,772

8 Claims.

This is a division of my copending application Serial No. 309,445, filed December 15, 1939, now Patent 2,366,827, issued January 9, 1945, said application being further divided into three other copending applications, Serial No. 525,111, filed on March 4, 1944; Serial No. 525,112, filed on March 4, 1944; Serial No. 737,771, filed on March 28, 1947. The parent case, Pateht 2,366,827, presents claims to the sensing devices cooperating with records having frictional indicia; the second case, Serial No. 525,112, issued as Patent No. 2,424,073 on July 15, 1947, contains'claims for devices for controlling sheet feeding by frictional indicia thereon; the third case, Serial No. 525,111, issued as Patent No. 2,431,017 on November 18, 1947, asserts claims for a control element bearing index points of friction material; the fourth case, Serial No. 737,771, sets forth claims for a control element bearing index points which are mechanically treated to make them frictional; and the present case, Serial No. 737,772, presents claims for a control element bearing index points of lubricating material.

This invention relates generally to improvements in devices for making and sensing index points on accounting records and more specifically to means for marking or treating a record to change its frictional characteristics at differential points which are later sensed to control the accumulation and recording of the data represented. The frictional marks may also control the feeding of a sheet bearing them.

In the record controlled accounting machine art, it is customary to use cards which are perforated at differential points to be representative of data. These perforations are sensed electrically by brushes, or mechanically by pins, to control settable devices for adding and printing the data represented by the perforations. While the perforated cards are satisfactory, punching the records involves perforating devices of precision manufacture. Furthermore, there are the limitations of the existing system in that the record element is weakened in proportion to the number of index points out therein and the area of the element receptive to printed information is limited by the portions cut out to provide control perforations.

.An object of the present invention is to provide a control element or card with index-points in the form of frictional surface marks which do not Weaken the element and do not interfere with printed matter on the element. The friction material may be colorless to avoid confusion with the printed matter over which it may be placed.

A feature of the invention is the use of both sides of a machine control element to receive the friction material, thus doubling the data representing capacity of the element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a record element made of fine paper which is smooth to the touch but has a high coefficient of friction, said element having index points marked thereon with graphite, wax or powder to cause certain index areas to have a lower coefficient of friction than the body of the element. As an alternative form of record, there may be used a paper stock which appears rough to the touch but which has a low coefficient of friction and is receptive to marks made with frictional matter such as rubber, gum, ink, pitch or wax which are comparatively higher in frictional characteristics.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a record and record characters thereon made of friction material placed so that they cannot only be read, but also sensed to control accumulation and recording of the character represented.

Another object of the invention is to treat accounting records with frictional marking materials of either a Water or oil base to fix data representing index points thereon. For example, the marking material may be composed of latex plus water soluble glue and added coloring material if desired. Another composition may include rubber dissolved in benzene or any other rubber solvent plus resin dissolved in turpentine plus coloring material, if desired.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by Way of example, the principle of the invention and the best modes, which have been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows one side of a record card marked with friction material to form data representing index points.

ing printed and written matter over which colorless friction index points are marked.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a series of sensing devices cooperating with both sides of a record element and spaced to coincide with the regular columnar spacing of the eighty columncard.

Fig. 6 shows an alternative method of crimping a record element so that two embossed ridges are within the usual eighty column spacing and on opposite sides of the record element. An area of friction is incised at a particular index point to cooperate with and actuate a serrated point of a sensing element as the record is drawnpast the sensing position.

Before-pointing out the various combinations of substancesfrom which the records and index points-may. be constituted, it may be explained.

that the variations are as numerous as the kinds of matter to be foundwith different frictional characteristics. rough,;hard surfaces were found to have a low coemcient of friction and the cooperating sensing fingersslid over such surfaces but was retarded when a spot of rubber, gum, wax or pitch engaged'the finger.

The materials found satisfactory for establishing areas of friction on record members of a low As a general rule materials with.

friction surface such as sheet metal, card stock,,.

newsprint, typewriter paper, or thelike areas follows: 7

Rubber Wax rubber cement and pitch; beeswax. Lot paraffin. Lotol and machine oil. crayon.

latex'aud glue; Neoprene cement, resin and turpentine.

China. marking pencil or any of the above dissolved in alcohol, acetone, turpentine, carbon disulphide or benzol.

Gum Pitch resin. resin, turpentine, rubber cement and machine oil.

fluid pitch. I pitch dissolved in benzine, gasoline, or

carbon tetrachloride.

The materials which performed satisfactorily.

in creating areas of a low coefficient of friction on record members of a higher frictional value such as sheet aluminum, weighted papers, ,and other materials smooth to the touch, were found to be graphite, wax, China marking pencil, or the foregoingdissolved in alcohol, acetone, turpentine, carbon-disulphide, or benzol.

In recordv members'of this kind, perforations .and depres-- sions are as effectivepas the low friction ma--- terial in influencing movement of the sensing fingers;

From the foregoing, it is apparent that some.

marking materials are effectiveon either kindof record. This is so when the frictionalindexdof the material. is midway betiveeii the, friction: valuesof the .sur-facesof record members having:

extremely high or low coefficients of friction.

The friction material when in the form of a solid may be marked or deposited on the records in the differentia1 positions. When liquefied it may be carried on ribbons or pads and transferred therefrom to the record material in any well known manner of printing. COlorlIlg pigment may be added to the friction deposit material when distinctive character or index point outlines are to be made, otherwise a clear colorless deposit Will' serve forniost purposes. The friction materials may also be either the same color as the background or contrasted therewith according to the purpose of hiding or revealing the marks.

Instead of using material to form a frictional area,.a certain portion or area of the surface of a record maybe treated mechanically to create a surface-ihaving .a coefficient of friction differing from the surrounding areas. The printing impression arm; 9|, described hereinbefore, can be formed: with-a striking face that acts mechanically to indent, emboss, roughen or smooth a record surface, rather than deposit material thereon.

Another important feature of the present invention-is the .markingof suchfrictional areas at differential points .on recordcards and the 00- operation-therewith .of devices forsensing the marksand controlling-the accumulation and printing of the datarepresented by the marks. For'example; in Figs. 1 and.2, thetwo sides of a portion of a. record card 200 are seen to carry a series of frictionalmarks 20! situated horizontally in Yariousdenominationalorder positions and arranged .verticallyfrom the bottom reference edge of the cardto be representative of the various 'digits. The placement of the marks corresponds withthe perforation positions in control elements thatare usually punched in a way well known in the art. 'However, the disclosed method ,of providing an index point has the advantage thatiit does not-weaken the record element. and it also enlarges the capacity of the. element, sinceethe marks may be made on both sidesof the element andsensed as shown in Fig. 3;

A furtheradvantage in the use of frictional index pointszis illustrated on :the recordyZOG shown in Fig. .4. There it is seen that anumberof index pointsv 202:are; of colorless-friction material and represented by a dotted outline, although thesemarks are. transparent and-do not interfere, with;tthe-.;written and printed matter over which theyare-placed: i

Fig. 2a zillustratesra. still further advantage gained by the. use of markingrmaterialhaving frictional characteristics'iii'lhe.record element 203,- carries a seriesiof numerals..205 which not.

sulation members 208, one for each denominationalporderi.a-Clamnedato the. front. end of each insulation. member 5208- is a metallic strip 209" Y carrying the terminal for one end of the electrical connections through the sensing device. Clamped at the opposite end of member 208 is another metallic strip 2l0 formed as a channel containing a wire bow spring 2 engaging in a notch cut into the bottom edge of a sliding sensing finger 2l2. Finger H2 is guided in the horizontal part of a T-shaped channel 2 l3 riveted on the top of insulation member 208. The rear end of finger 252 is notched at M4 to cooperate with the upper edge of channel 2H0 to limit the sliding movement of finger 2l2 when the record 200 moves away from the sensing devices. An extension 2 I lid on channel 2 l0 presses against the side of finger 2 l2 and maintains electrical circuit connection between the two parts.

Spring 2H serves to hold finger 212 upward so that a contact extension 2l5 thereon is normally separated from the contact piece 209 attached to the front of the insulation blank 208. The spring also provides a horizontal thrust to press the forward end of the finger against the record material so that the finger remains in the upper position shown until it encounters an area of such a frictional nature that the end of the finger is carried along therewith and down to close a circuit between contact 215 and strip 209.

The fingers and the ends thereon may be made of various material to get the frictional characteristics desired. For example, it is known that metals such as aluminum, lead, and bronze have a higher coefficient of friction than other metals, such as steel, chromium and nickel, when other factors such as nature of cooperating material, kind of surface, polish, etc. are taken into consideration.

Instead of depending on the frictional characteristics of materials, it is also possible to set up frictional areas by treating the record mechanically as by impressing or embossing lines of resistance on the surface of the record card. For example, in Fig. 6 there is shown a portion of a record 26 3 in cross-section with a pair of channels 22s and 22! formed on opposite sides within a space devoted to one column of a record. Along the top of the embossed ridges formed on the card, and at particular index points, there are impressed a series of transverse depressions 222 designed to present more than the usual frictional resistance to the passage of the record 204 under the serrated points 223 of the sensing fingers 2l2a. These fingers 2| 2a also have associated therewith the contact making and breaking components illustrated in Fig. 3.

The impulses created by the sensing devices shown in Fig. .3 are initiated at differential times in the same fashion that impulses are initiated through perforations as is common in the art. These impulses are then directed through printing and adding control magnets. Circuit breaking devices are provided to prevent the creation of circuits at positions other than the regular index point positions. In this way encountering the edge of each card, and the space between 6 cards, has no effect on the adding and printing devices, even though the sensing finger contacts close at such times.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine control element bearing index points of a lubricating material such as powder, which is deposited at differential positions thereon to be representative of data.

2. A machine control element bearing index points of a lubricating material such as wax, which is deposited at difierential positions thereon to be representative of data.

3. A machine contro1 element bearing data representing index points composed of deposits of wax dissolved in alcohol, acetone, turpentine, carbondisulphide or benzol.

4. A machine control element bearing index points established by depositing colorless lubricating material such as wax at differential points on said element to represent data thereon.

5. .A machine control element bearing colorless index points of a colorless lubricating material such as wax dissolved in alcohol, acetone, turpentine, carbon disulphide, or benzol, which is deposited at differential positions thereon to be representative of data.

6. A machine control element of sheet aluminum, said element bearing index points of a lubricating material such as wax which is deposited at differential positions thereon to be representative of data.

'7. A machine control element of weighted paper, said element bearing index points of a lubricating material such as powder which is deposited at differential positions thereon to be representative of data.

8. A machine control element of weighted paper, said element bearing index points of a lubricating material such as wax which is deposited at differential positions thereon to be representative of data.

WALDEMAR A. AYRES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,084,848 Lasker June 22, 1937 2,107,008 Lasker Feb. 1, 1938 2,294,681 Moon Sept. 1, 1942 2,366,827 Ayres Jan. 9, 1945 

